


Letters

by ThePotterWatcher



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, FFspringfest2021, Fluff, Fremione - Freeform, fairy safe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:06:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29822592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePotterWatcher/pseuds/ThePotterWatcher
Summary: This is written for the Fremione Fanatics Spring Scenes Flash FestThe prompt:Hermione wakes up in the infirmary second year to find that Fred has left her a note for every day she’s been petrified from ReyloSongstressI loved this prompt so much!
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley
Comments: 7
Kudos: 45
Collections: Fremione Fanatics Spring Scenes Flash Fest





	Letters

It was an odd feeling, it started with her toes. The pins and needles sensation she had experienced more than once, getting lost in a book only to realize she hadn't appropriately moved in much too long. The first coherent thought Hermione Granger had in almost a month was that the de-petrification process was slow. She had realized at once when the mandrake draught woke her brain that she had met the basilisk on her way to find Harry and Ron.

She couldn't move her head yet, but the long curly hair she could see in the bed across from her told her Penelope had luckily been petrified as well. Hermione would have been devastated if Penelope had died, even if she barely knew the girl. She hoped no one else died because she hadn't been fast enough.

Nearly twenty minutes later and Hermione was finally able to sit on her own, Madame Pomfrey had made it clear she wasn't to stand yet. The probability of her falling and hitting her head was too high, and Madame Pomfrey made it clear she had better things to do at the moment than to stop and mend it.

Resigned to staying in bed for a while longer Hermione took in her surroundings. Penelope waved slightly from across the way. She still looked a bit dazed and Hermione smiled back encouragingly. Hermione took in Colin Creevy looking over his camera checking the damage. Justin Finch-Fletchley and Sir Nick seemed to be in deep conversation about something or other. Mrs. Norris, however, had jumped immediately from her bed once she was able and stalked from the room, most likely in search of Filch.

As nothing was going on, Hermione turned to the small table next to her bed, certain there would be a book somewhere. Pulling open the drawer she was confused to find a pile of parchment. It wasn't a stack, there was nothing tidy about the collection. It looked as though someone had dumped a rubbish bit into the drawer. Huffing, she pulled the ripped-off corner of what looked to be an old star chart, about to put it in the bin when she noticed her name on it.

Curious.

Her gasp was so loud Penelope's eyes shot up at once. Giving a smile and shake of her head when Penelope asked if she needed help, Hermione returned her attention to the parchment in her hand. It was a note. Most surprisingly it was a note from Fred Weasley.

Hermione,  
Not much today. Gin seems to be getting worse, I wish you were here. You'd have her sorted in no time. Not much longer now! See you soon.  
Fred

As expected, Hermione had too many questions. She pulled every scrap of parchment from the drawer, a quick look showed they were all from Fred. there were 23 of them, one for every day that she had been in the hospital. Sorting them she found what seemed to be the first note and started to read.

Hey Hermione,  
Poppy (yes Poppy, we are on a first-name basis these days. That happens when a person or two spends so much time here in the hospital wing!) told Georgie and me a bit about what happens when people are petrified, so I thought I'd give you a bit to read while you're recuperating.

Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering about how I got these notes to you when Poppy stopped letting visitors in. funny story there. In our first year, there was a big outbreak of dragon pox. Georgie got them, I didn't. Well, it simply wouldn't do for us to be separated for so long. I tried to convince Minnie (don't tell her I called her that, we aren't on a first-name basis, yet) to let me get dragon pox too. That didn't go over so well. Dumbledore (great man, I have some good stories I'll tell you later) rigged up this little drawer for us. So I asked Poppy to put you in our bed. I figured you'd want to be kept up to date with what's going on around here.

Okay well, I'll write more tomorrow!  
See you soon,  
Fred

Hermione was flabbergasted. What on Earth was Fred Weasley dining writing her? And every day for a month. She hadn't been sure he'd known her name. Sure, she was friends with Ron, but that didn't mean his older brothers should take any notice of her.

It didn't help that she had harbored a major crush on Fred since she had been able to tell him and George apart, which had been about two weeks into her first year. Fred was just so large, not physically, though he certainly towered over her, but his personality. He was loud and excitable and fun. Everything that she wasn't.

With a sigh, she started looking through the rest of the notes. Dumbledore had been sacked, well that wouldn't last long. Hagrid was taken to Azkaban? What utter rubbish. Oliver Wood was depressed over the loss of Quidditch, that boy really needed to sort his priorities out. Draco Malfoy was walking around as if he's the king of the world, prat. Percy was acting nervous, that was odd.

Hermione noticed with a bit of sadness the way the notes started to take on a more somber tone. One had her in tears.

Hermione,  
Things are getting strange around here. Everyone is scared, even the professors. I wish we could all just go back to before all this Chamber nonsense and everyone would be safe.

If you were still here, I know you'd have it solved by now. Ginny is starting to scare me, she's always been so happy and fun, now she seems scared of her own shadow. I think Harry and Ron are trying to figure it out, but they are going to get hurt without you. I saw them sneaking back into the common room late. They were terrified, but wouldn't tell us what was going on.

I hate not being able to help any of them.  
Yours,  
Fred

Hermione had told Madame Pomfrey the moment she could speak that it was a basilisk in the Chamber. Madame Pomfrey told her that everything had been dealt with. Everything was fine now and Hermione had helped a bit with the book page she'd taken from the library. She still wished she could have done more, if only she hadn't been petrified in the first place she could have helped bring everything to a close much sooner.

***

Fred was lying in his bed after the final feast, a sense of peace he'd been missing for several weeks now, settling over him. Everything was back to normal. Ginny was laughing again, Percy seemed to be in better spirits as well. Dumbledore and Hagrid were back, and he'd heard Draco's father had been sacked. Everyone who had been petrified was back, though he knew he'd miss writing Hermione every day. He still wasn't sure what had made him do it in the first place, but he'd rather gotten used to talking to her, albeit one-sided. He couldn't help smile at the memory of the way she smiled so brightly at him and waved before Harry and Ron descended on her.

Fred was already thinking of ways to get her alone to talk. Perhaps she would believe he really wanted to be her friend now, instead of thinking he was teasing her like she always did before. His plan was half-formed when there was a pecking sound at the window next to him. A look around the room showed everyone else was asleep, so he hopped up and opened the window.

"Hedwig?" Fred said quietly as the snowy owl held out her leg to him importantly. "Alright, love. I haven't got any treats here, but come see me in the morning and I'll make sure you have a treat."

Hedwig hooted softly and nipped his finger gently before flying off into the night.

One look at the tidy handwriting put a smile on his face and Fred climbed into his bed and lit his wand with a whisper.

Fred,  
I honestly don't know how to thank you for thinking of me this past month. I enjoyed reading everything that's been going on while I was petrified. You are very kind and thoughtful. (Don't worry I'll keep it a secret if you want me to. Boys are funny like that.)

I do, however, feel like our communication was a bit one-sided and I do pride myself on being a very good pen pal. I can write to you a bit this summer to make up for it? Or maybe buy you a journal if you just want a place to write down your thoughts, if you don't want me to. That's okay if you don't. I will always appreciate what you did for me.

I should probably try to sleep, though I feel as though I've been asleep for a month already.  
Yours,  
Hermione

Letter writing would become an integral part of Fred and Hermione's relationship. Because of Hermione, Fred would invent a two-way journal that they would write in constantly. The journal would be the one thing to keep Hermione sane during her third year when she was worn much too thin traveling back and forth through time to make it to all of her classes, then later during the long hunt for Horcruxes. It started with jokes and funny anecdotes, a safe place to rant about any and everything, to letters of love and devotion.

Fred would propose to Hermione through a letter, sent to her from one room of the flat they shared to the bedroom where she was getting ready for their anniversary dinner. A dinner they would inevitably miss for they found a better way to celebrate.

Their shared love of writing letters would continue, leaving notes to each other in random places to find unexpectedly. When their children started Hogwarts they would happily receive weekly letters from both of their parents, congratulating them on the pranks Head Mistress McGonagall would inform them of.

Fred Weasley would tell his sons and nephews fondly the best way to woo a witch or wizard would always be to write down their feelings and sent them. Guaranteed to work every time.


End file.
